Elastic cord



April 6, 1937. I T, H 2,076,272

ELASTIC CORD Filed Sept. :50, 1955 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 6, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ELASTIC CORD Thomas Harris, Providence, R. 1., assignor to Harris Textile Machinery Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Application September 30, 1935, Serial No. 42,742

Claims. (01. 117-57) This invention relates to an elastic cord, and has for one of its objects the provision of a cord consisting of a plurality of strands twisted to-,

gether which will be substantially neutral to a tendency to twist or kink upon itself.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an elastic cord which may be formed in any desired size by the assembly of a fewer or greater I number of strands twisted together.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cord made up of a plurality of strands which areinterlocked together by the inherent twist in each of the strands which go to form the cord.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cord which will be soft to the touch and extremely flexible by reason of each of the individual strands which go to make the cord being soft, flexible and pliant.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the cord made up of a plurality of strands here shown as six strands twisted together;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of one of the strands showing the same. as comprising an elastic core with a covering thereabout;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the single strand as shown in Figure 2 as free from tension and in contracted position and kinked or uneven in the manner in which it would lie upon flat surface;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view illustrating two strands twisted together thus neutralizing the tendency toward kinking such as shown in a single strand in Figure 3; and

sembled cord made up of theplurality of strands so formed to lie flat and neutral so far as tendency to kink and twist upon itself is concerned; and the following is a more detailed description Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showof the present embodiment of this invention, il-

lustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawing, I 0 designates a rubber thread which has been twisted to wrap a covering ll of non-elastic relatively untwisted fibers about the same as a covering. The pitch of this wrapped covering is relatively short of nearly at right angles to the direction of length of the core, by which arrangement the restriction to elongation or contraction is minimized.

When a strand, such as shown at 12 in Figure 2, consisting of its Core i0 and covering II is released there will be a kinking of the strand dueto the twist in the rubber core such as is illustrated in Figure3. However, if two or more of such strands l2 are twisted together by rotation in a direction opposite to that of the twisting of the core I!) for assembling of the covering ll thereon, I will provide a cord such as shown at l3 in Figure 4 which will be substantially neutral as to a tendency to twist and will lie flat upon a level horizontal surface without tendency to knot up or kink, and I find that I may utilize this manner of forming a cord with more than two strands, I having shown for instance in Figure 1, a cord I4 formed of six strands l2 and I may multiply this number yet further.

The twisting of the individual strands I2 is accomplished such as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 5 in which I provide two or more packages l5 and I6 and draw the strands l1 and I8 therefrom beneath nip rollers I9, 2|] and 2| through a pigtail guide 22, a ring traveler 23 operable on the ring 24 and thence to the bobbin or package 25, the twist being placed in the cord by twisting the same in a direction opposite to the twisting of each of the individual strands to assemble the covering Il thereon. However, in assembling, I will twist a number of revolutions less than the number of revolutions for placing the covering thereon in order not to remove all of the twist which has been ber core with a cover 01' non-twisted fibers thereon, each strand being twisted as an entirety in one direction only and having an inherent tendency to untwist when relaxed, said strands being in frictional contact and one extending about the other in a direction opposite to the twist of the thread to take up the untwisting tendency and provide a balanced elastic cord free from tendency to itself kink.

2. An elastic cord comprising a plurality of strands doubled together, each comprising an elastic core with a cover, each strand being twisted as an entirety in one direction only and having an inherent tendency to untwist when relaxed, said strands being in frictional contact and one extending about the other in a direction opposite to the twist of the strand to take up the untwisting tendency andprovide a balanced elastic cord free from tendency to itself kink.

3. An elastic cord comprising a plurality of strands doubled together, each comprising a rubber core with a cover of non-twisted fibers thereon, each strand being twisted as an entirety in one direction only and having an inherent tendency to untwist when relaxed, said strands being in frictional contact and, one extending about the other in a direction opposite to the twist of the strand to take up the untwisting tendency and provide a balanced elastic cord free from tendency to itself kink.

4. An elastic cord comprising a plurality of strands doubled together, each comprising a rubber core with a cover of non-twisted fibers arranged in a helical path about the core, each strand being twisted as an entirety in one direction only and having an inherent tendency to untwist when relaxed, said strands being in frictional contact and one extending about the other to take up the untwisting tendency and providing a balanced elastic cord free from tendency to itself kink.

5. An elastic cord comprising a plurality of strands doubled together, each comprising a rubber core with a cover of non-twisted fibers arranged in a helical path about the core, each strand being twisted as an entirety in one direction only and having an inherent tendency to untwist when relaxed, said strands being in frictional contact and one extending about the other in a direction opposite to the twist of the strand to take up the untwisting tendency and providing a balanced elastic cord free from tendency to itself kink, the cover being of such twist as to limit the extension of the rubber core material.

THOMAS HARRIS. 

